Israel under fire: November 2012

Israel under fire - November 2012

  •   1,500 rockets fired at Israel
  •    
    A total of 1,500 rockets have been fired at Israel since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense (14 Nov), about half of which were recorded as hits in Israeli territory.
    A ceasefire was declared on November 21, at 9 pm.


    Photo captions:

    Children in Kiryat Malachi run for cover at the sound of the air raid siren

    The aftermath of a rocket attack - Ashdod, Nov 17

    The aftermath of a rocket attack - Ashkelon, Nov 18

    The aftermath of a rocket attack - Beersheba, Nov 20


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    Israel under fire - Nov 2012 Israel under fire - Nov 2012 Copyright: IDF Spokesperson
    (Photos: IDF Spokesperson)
     

     

    Rocket hits in Israel since the Hamas takeover of Gaza, 2006 


    Source: ITIC
    * Based on an estimated 805 rocket hits as of 1130 hours, November 21 (the number of launchings, in our assessment, is about three times greater than the number of hits)
    .



    Rocket range from Gaza.
    Click to download printable version (PDF) 



    Source: IDF

     
    Israelis run for cover as a siren warns of incoming rockets in Kiryat Malachi,
    where three were killed (Photo: Reuters)


    Remains of a car hit by a rocket in Beersheba
    Remains of a car hit by a rocket in Beersheba (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)



    Israelis prepare to sleep in a bomb shelter in the southern town of Netivot (Photo: Reuters)


    Operation Pillar of Defense - Summary of IDF activity

    A ceasefire agreement regarding the fighting in the south came into effect at 21:00 on November 21, 2012. Following eight days of operations, the IDF has inflicted severe damage to Hamas and its military capabilities.

    As a result of IDF operations, the command and control apparatus of Hamas was significantly struck, beginning with the targeting of the commander of the military wing of Hamas, Ahmed Jabari, continuing with the targeting of broad terrorist infrastructure, facilities and military bases, as well as the destruction of dozens of smuggling and explosive tunnels.

    During the operation, the IDF damaged and destroyed significant elements of Hamas' strategic capabilities. Among those capabilities were long-range (over 40 km) and hundreds of short- and medium-range rocket launchers. These actions have severely impaired Hamas' launching capabilities. The Iron Dome defense system has accomplished high rate of successful interceptions (84%) and Hamas’ accuracy with regards to hitting populated areas within Israel remained below 7%.

    Over the course of Operation Pillar of Defense, the IDF targeted over 1,500 terror sites including 19 senior command centers, operational control centers and Hamas' senior-rank headquarters, 30 senior operatives, damaging Hamas' command and control, hundreds of underground rocket launchers, 140 smuggling tunnels, 66 terror tunnels, dozens of Hamas operation rooms and bases, 26 weapon manufacturing and storage facilities and dozens of long-range rocket launchers and launch sites.

    Senior operatives targeted:

    • Ahmed Jabari, head of Hamas' military wing
    • Hab's Hassan Us Msamch, senior operative in Hamas' police
    • Ahmed Abu Jalal, Commander of the military wing in Al-Muazi
    • Khaled Shaer, senior operative in the anti-tank operations
    • Osama Kadi, senior operative in the smuggling operations in the southern Gaza Strip
    • Muhammad Kalb, senior operative in the aerial defense operations
    • Ramz Harb, Islamic Jihad senior operative in propaganda in Gaza city


    * * *

    The current crisis began on Saturday (November 10) when an anti-tank missile fired from Gaza struck an IDF jeep near the Karni crossing wounding four soldiers, two seriously. An IDF force patrolling near the Karni crossing, inside Israel, sustained a direct hit by an anti-tank missile fired from a location east of the Gaza Strip neighborhoods of Zeitun and Sajaiya. Two soldiers suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. Two others were rushed to the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon in moderate condition, suffering from shrapnel wounds. The IDF responded to the source of fire.

    The IDF soldier who sustained critical head and eye injuries during Saturday's anti-tank missile attack on an IDF patrol jeep near the Gaza border remains hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the Soroka University Medical Center in Beersheba, and his doctors say he may never see again
     
    PM Netanyahu (Nov 11): "The IDF is operating, and will operate, aggressively against the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, which are taking heavy blows from the IDF. The world needs to understand that Israel will not sit idly by in the face of attempts to attack us. We are prepared to intensify the response."

    Over 120 rockets were fired at southern Israel from Gaza from Saturday evening (Nov 10) until November 13, hitting Sderot, Ashdod, Netivot, and the Eshkol, Shaar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon councils. Several people suffered injuries on Sunday morning and many have been treated for panic. There has been extensive damage to homes, businesses and vehicles. 

     

    Rocket fire - Nov 10-13, 2012
     
     A total of 121 rocket hits identified in Israeli territory during the current escalation.
    The number does not include mortar shells. Source: ITIC

     
     
    Ceiling of a home in Sderot which suffered a direct rocket hit
     Ceiling of a home in Sderot which suffered a direct rocket hit (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)


    Rocket fired from Gaza damaged a home in Netivot - Nov 12
    Rocket fired from Gaza damaged a home in Netivot - Nov 12 (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
     
     

    Trails of smoke are seen after the launch of rockets from the northern Gaza Strip towards Israel - November 11, 2012 (Photo: Reuters)
     
     
     
  • Following the launch of Israel's operation Pillar of Defense against terrorist targets in Gaza, rocket fire from Gaza resumed on Wednesday evening (14 Nov), with a salvo of over 50 Grad rockets fired towards Israel's southern cities.
    A ceasefire was declared on November 21, at 9 pm. 




    A total of 1,500 rockets have been fired at Israel since the start of Operation Pillar of Defense (14 Nov), about half of which were recorded as hits in Israeli territory. The Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has intercepted over 400 rockets, preventing them from striking populated areas in Israel.


    Rockets in Kiryat Malachi, Nov 15, 2012 (Photo: GPO/Moshe Milner)


    Israeli casualties: 5 killed (4 civilians and 1 soldier), 9 in critical condition, 9 in moderate condition and 222 lightly injured (figures of wounded include 21 soldiers).


    Nov 20: IDF soldier, Cpl. Yosef Fartuk, 18, of Emmanuel was killed in a rocket and mortar salvo in the Eshkol Regional Council. Alayaan Salem al-Nabari, 33, from the Beduin village of Rejwan in the Negev, was killed by a second mortar salvo in the same region.


    Nov 15: Three people were killed when a rocket hit an apartment building in Kiryat Malachi: Mirah Scharf, 25, Aharon Smadja, 49, and Itzik Amsalem, 24.



    Daily distribution of rocket hits in Israel's south
    since the beginning of Operation Pillar of Defense


    *Based on an estimated 805 rocket hits as of 1130 hours, November 21
    (the number of launchings, in our assessment,
    is about three times greater than the number hits
    ). Source: ITIC


    The Kerem Shalom crossing opened on Tuesday morning (20 Nov) to allow the transfer of 120 trucks of humanitarian aid. However, when it was targeted by rocket fire from Gaza, the IDF was forced to close the crossing to ensure the safety of all those working at the crossing and passing through it. Only 24 trucks of humanitarian aid managed to make it through the crossings prior to the rocket strikes.














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